tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17837883070436746452014-10-04T23:59:56.170-07:00O'Keefe GenealogyA blog devoted to the ancestors and descendants of Leo and Leona O'Keefe of Niagara Falls, NYDinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-21952486451508971362007-08-26T11:13:00.000-07:002007-08-26T13:43:13.030-07:00Lydia or Bridget -- different names for the same incredible woman<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RsXopddvV4I/AAAAAAAAAJM/dWx2zsLDgF4/s1600-h/lydia+mcpartland+close+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099737952048600962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RsXopddvV4I/AAAAAAAAAJM/dWx2zsLDgF4/s400/lydia+mcpartland+close+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The above woman is Lydia Bridget McPartland, or in other records, Bridget Lydia McPartland. Her sister-in-law was also Bridget McPartland, so in her later life she used Lydia informally. However, legal documents flip-flop between names, so neither Kay Wright or I can definitively say which name was first: Lydia or Bridget. Only one thing was for sure -- she hated both them! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>That priceless nugget of information is one of many that I got from Kay when I was visiting her. Lydia was a small woman, much beloved, and known to her family in later years as "Little Grandma". </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Lydia's husband, Patrick, died in 1884 when he was only 49. At the time, she still had 6 children under the age of 18, the youngest only 3. Despite this hardship, she was a shrewd businesswoman and ran a successful farm. While we have no evidence that she received any formal schooling, she put at least three of her children and one grandchild through Normal School (what would be considered today as a Teachers College). She smoked a corn cob pipe and lived to be 92 years old.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>If you think she was a tough lady, you'd be right. There are stories of her in her old age, encountering rattlesnakes on her property, and without breaking stride, picking them up by the tail and whacking them against the foundation of the nearest farm building to dispatch them. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-49149977147985661252007-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:002007-08-19T09:40:22.448-07:00Updating the McPartland FamilyIn a previous blog, I detailed what I knew about the family of Patrick and Bridget Lydia McPartland. I've learned quite a bit more about them since my post, and I'd like to update that entry:<br /><br />Patrick (1835-1884) and Bridget Lydia (1839-1932) both immigrated to the New York area from Ireland. They were married on 28 Nov 1856 in St. Joseph's Church, Batavia, NY. He was 21 and she was 17. They had 12 children:<br /><br /><br />Thomas (1857-1948) m. Mary Ann O'Keefe Mary Ann (1859-1908)<br /><br />Mary Ann (1859-1946)<br /><br />Charles (1861-1863)<br /><br />James (1863-1946)<br /><br />Joseph (1866-1946)<br /><br />John (1866-1956)<br /><br />= John and Joseph were twins.<br /><br />Jane Ellen (1868-1913) also called Jennie<br /><br />Catherine (1870-1971) m. James Cassidy<br /><br />Elizabeth (1873-1938) m. Francis O'Keefe<br /><br />Edward Miles (1876 - 1931)<br /><br />Frances (1878-1908) also called Fannie; m. William Gratrick<br /><br />Alice Rose (1881-1892)Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-75414006201113105392007-08-19T11:12:00.000-07:002007-08-19T09:40:45.542-07:00Enlarging Pictures on the BlogOk, time out from genealogy for a little housekeeping. I've stated before that I have been working on getting the pictures on the blog to show up bigger and easier to read. Unfortunately, nothing I've tried has worked, so this has been really frustrating for me.<br /><br /><br />Imagine my surprise when my hubby was reading my latest post and had a HUGE image of the census on his screen! When I asked how he got that, he looked mildly confused and said "I just clicked on the image." D'oh! Ok, I hadn't tried that.<br /><br /><br />So for all those of you (if any) who, like me, hadn't figured this out: Click on the image to get a larger view of it. It makes things like the census much easier to read. To get back to the blog, just hit your browsers "Back" button.<br /><br /><br />And thank you to my hubby for the tip (and not pointing out that I was being a ditz).Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-84389934932938944102007-08-16T22:41:00.000-07:002007-08-17T11:33:33.386-07:00Spending time in Alabama (Alabama, NY that is!)<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RsU-wddvV3I/AAAAAAAAAJA/WSCYuc7kqG4/s1600-h/kay+and+joe+close+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099551155330963314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RsU-wddvV3I/AAAAAAAAAJA/WSCYuc7kqG4/s400/kay+and+joe+close+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>I spent some research time in New York recently, and got tons of things to post... it's going to take me weeks to sort everything out! Thanks especially to those who hosted me: Uncle Jim and Aunt Agnes O'Keefe, Kathy O'Keefe, Kay Cassidy Wright and Joe Cassidy. Kay and Joe are pictured above. (Sorry for the shadows, my camera doesn't fix pilot error!).</div><br /><div></div><div>Kay and Joe are cousins through the Cassidy line. Their grandmother was Catherine McPartland, who married James Cassidy in 1904. Catherine was the daughter of Patrick and Lydia McPartland, and the sister of Elizabeth McPartland O'Keefe, wife of Francis O'Keefe. </div><div></div><br /><div>Joe emailed me a few months back saying he was happy to read about his Aunt Lizzie on my blog. Of course, I immediately emailed him back! He put me in touch with Kay, who is also a genealogist and a very generous person. She not only shared all her knowledge of our common family members, she let me take pictures of her ample supply of photos, clippings, etc. AND took me to many family places and introduce me to people. This explains how I ended up in Alabama, NY actually getting to meet Joe and seeing various places in McPartland history. You'll be seeing a lot of Kate's stuff in the future.</div><div></div><br /><div>Since my last blog was about the McPartlands, I thought I would first start with all the info about where they lived: in the town of Alabama, Genesee County, NY. This is about 20 miles from Medina, Orleans County, NY where the O'Keefes lived. I'll then move on to Medina, and from there Niagara.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-35043649638307849392007-04-22T23:08:00.000-07:002007-08-17T11:32:58.273-07:00Who's Who -- the family of Patrick McPartland and Bridget Lydia DuganAs per her marriage certificate, Elizabeth McPartland was the daughter of Patrick McPartland and Bridget (Lydia) Dugan. Both Patrick and Bridget immigrated from Ireland. However, I have no record of them knowing each other before immigration. Bridget immigrated with her family and appears to have met Patrick when he immigrated and moved to Genesee County, New York.<br /><br />Patrick and Bridget had the following children:<br /><br />Thomas (1857-1948)<br />m. Mary Ann O'Keefe<br /><br />Mary Ann (1859-?)<br /><br />James (1863-1946)<br /><br />Joseph (1866-1946)<br /><br />John (1866-?)<br />(John and Joseph were twins)<br /><br />Jane Ellen (1868-1913)<br />also called Jennie<br /><br />Catherine (1870-1971)<br />m. James Cassidy<br /><br />Elizabeth (1873-1938)<br />m. Francis O'Keefe<br /><br />Edward (1876 - ?)<br /><br />Frances (1878-1908)<br />also called Fanny; m. William GratrickDinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-60862776698562884302007-04-16T23:23:00.000-07:002007-04-29T13:00:28.740-07:00Who's Who -- The family of Thomas McPartland and Mary Ann O'KeefeAs per the previous blog, Thomas McPartland and Mary Ann O'Keefe were married in 1893. They had the following children:<br />.<br />Irving (1893- ??)<br />Florence (1896- ??) m. George Bauer<br />Arthur (1902-1975)<br />Bernard (1906-1908)<br />Eleanor M. (1908-1909) aka Mary Evelyn<br />.<br />The clippings Kay sent contain the following obituary for Mary Ann O'Keefe; my notes are in brackets:<br />.<br />Mrs. Thomas McPartland<br />.<br />Her Death at Wheatville -- Internment to Take Place in Batavia [both cities in Genesee Co.]<br />.<br />Mrs. Thomas McPartland of Wheatville, aged forty years, died at her home on Saturday at 11:30PM. Death resulted from a complication of diseases. Besides her husband, Mrs. McPartland is survived by five children -- Irving, aged 14 years; Florence, aged 12; Arthur, aged 7; Bernard, aged 2 and an infant daughter, Mary Eveline, aged 4 weeks. Other relatives are three brothers, John O'Keefe of Buffalo, Francis O'Keefe of Medina, and James, whose residence is unknown. Mrs. Cornelius O'Keefe, the mother, is also living , her home being in Medina. Funeral services will be held at St. Patrick's church in Wheatville tomorrow at 9am. The remains will be brought to Batavia for internment in St. Joseph's Cemetery.<br />.<br />[The year of this obit is 1908, but there is no date. The obit is part of a scrapbook kept by Carrie Hale, which is now at the Alabama Historical Society Museum, and which contains articles taken from the Batavia and Oakfield (Genesee Co.) newspapers.]<br />.<br />[Additional note per Kay's family sheet: The two youngest children, Bernard and Eleanor M. (aka Mary Eveline), were taken in and cared for by Kate Crowley (nee Catherina O'Keefe, sister of Mary), a Medina resident, to assist their grieving father. Unfortunately, both children had died by the end of 1909.]Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-34110506007590689822007-04-16T22:55:00.000-07:002007-04-16T23:05:54.217-07:00A Double Link: McPartlands & O'KeefesOne of the best things about having this blog is finding cousins! I recently connected with Kay Wright (through her cousin, Joe Cassidy, another happy "find" through this blog), who has provided me with lots of new information!<br /><br />In a previous post (1/9/07) I listed the family of Cornelius O'Keefe and Mary Morgan. For three of their children, I also noted that I needed additional information. For their oldest daughter Mary, Kay was able to provide that:<br /><br /><blockquote>Mary Ann married Thomas McPartland 21 June 1893. She died in 1908.<br />You will find further info in the news clippings I am mailing to you.</blockquote><br /><br />This means that there were TWO O'Keefe/McPartland marriages in the family! Mary Ann O'Keefe &amp; Thomas McPartland in 1893 and Francis O'Keefe and Elizabeth McPartland in 1897 (see previous post)!<br /><br />I will be posting more of Kay's clippings in future posts.Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-46771986185189186972007-03-07T13:22:00.000-08:002007-03-07T22:25:48.135-08:00A Laroque Link<blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>I'm sorry that I haven't been posting regularly. I started a Photoshop class at the local college so that I could clean up many of the older pictures that I've scanned, and also zoom in on the details so they are clearer when posting.<br /><br />I also have been meaning to pass on the following email regarding the previous post about Joseph Fields and Jenny Larocque:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dina,<br />There [is a] good chance that Jenny's parents were Jean-Baptiste Larocque (John Larocque) and Marie-Louise Martel (Mary Martell). The above couple were married in St-Polycarpe Quebec October 20 1856. St-Polycarpe is a little village about 10 miles from the Ontario border. You can visit my web site<br />at <a href="http://www3.sympatico.ca/louis.larocque/">http://www3.sympatico.ca/louis.larocque/</a><br />Best regards, Louis Larocque<br /></blockquote><br />Louis' website is one of the best genealogical resources on the web, The LaRocque Family History Book, and is dedicated to the LaRocque (and its variation of spelling) line. It is well worth a visit and I will be adding it to the Favorite Websites list on this site. He was spot-on about Mary Jane's parents, and I will be looking up more LaRocques on his site!Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-91609927376777553682007-01-23T11:03:00.000-08:002007-01-23T11:51:38.858-08:00The WWI Registration of Leo F. O'Keefe.<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RbZctYw8nuI/AAAAAAAAADM/_dLH28Ia0B8/s1600-h/leo+wwI.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023304369189986018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RbZctYw8nuI/AAAAAAAAADM/_dLH28Ia0B8/s400/leo+wwI.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>.</div><div>Above is the WWI Draft Registration card for Leo Francis. The Transcription:</div><div> </div><div><strong>(Left Handside)</strong></div><div>Registration Card</div><div> </div><div>Serial No.: 5662</div><div>Order No.: 14855</div><div>1) Name: <strong>Leo Francis O'Keefe</strong></div><div>2) Permanent Home: <strong>720 10th St., Niagara Falls, Niagara [County], NY</strong></div><div>3) Age in Years: <strong>18</strong></div><div>4) Date of Birth: <strong>Sept. 5, 1900</strong></div><div>Race: 5) [box for White] <strong>"Yes"</strong></div><div> [items 6-9 are boxes for other races]</div><div>Citizenship: 10) [box for Native Born] <strong>"Yes"</strong></div><div> [items 11-12 are boxes for other types of citizenship, items 13-14 are for aliens, 15 for note on citizenship]</div><div>16) Present Occupation: <strong>Wholesale Clerk</strong></div><div>17) Employer's Name: <strong>Richmond & Mathers</strong></div><div>18) <strong>354 [unreadable], Niagara Falls, Niagara, NY</strong></div><div> </div><div>NEAREST RELATIVE:</div><div>19) Name: <strong>Elizabeth O'Keefe</strong> </div><div> [mother, Elizabeth McPartland O'Keefe]</div><div>20) Address: <strong>720 10th St., Niagara Falls, Niagara [County], NY</strong></div><div> </div><div>I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true</div><div><strong>Leo F. O'Keefe</strong> </div><div>[signature]</div><div> </div><div>PMGO</div><div>Form No. 1</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>(Right Handside)</div><div>REGISTRAR'S REPORT</div><div>[The number 31-8-24-C is stamped next to this heading]<br /></div><div>Description of Registrant</div><div>Height: box for Medium written "Yes"</div><div>Build: box for Medium written "Yes"</div><div>Color of Eyes: Blue</div><div>Color of Hair: Brown</div><div>29) Has person lost arm, leg, hand, eye, or is he obviously physically disqualified? "No Loss"</div><div>30) No exceptions or notes written</div><div>Signature of Registrar: Edward Howe</div><div>Date of Registration: Sept. 12, 1918</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-40425316873155913742007-01-09T22:11:00.000-08:002007-04-16T23:07:29.254-07:00Who's Who -- Cornelius & Mary O'Keefe's FamilyFrancis O'Keefe's parents were Cornelius O'Keefe (abt. 1835-1905) and Mary Morgan (abt. 1838-1912). Both parents immigrated to the Medina area of New York from Ireland. They married about 1860 (although I can't tell if that was back in Ireland or in New York) and raised the following children:<br /><br />Francis O'Keefe (1866-1944)<br />(see previous blogs)<br /><br />Catherine O'Keefe (1870-1949)<br />(m. John Crowley abt. 1889)<br /><br />Mary O'Keefe (1869-??)<br />(additional information needed)<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">4/12/07 -- married Thomas McPartland; see additional posts</span><br /><br />Cornelius O'Keefe, Jr. (1872-1900)<br />(will discuss in another blog)<br /><br />John O'Keefe (1863-??)<br />(moved to Buffalo, NY; more info unknown)<br /><br />James O'Keefe (1865-??)<br />(additional information needed)Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-604691602987381352006-12-20T08:32:00.000-08:002006-12-19T20:49:32.589-08:00Housekeeping: Gone to Oz!You may not see any more posts this year (2006) because I will be on vacation until Jan. 7, 2007. I will be in Australia (aka Oz) with my family, hunting down those elusive ancestors ~ maybe the ones I can't find moved there? Just kidding. I have no known family there, but I will be taking a much-needed break.<br /><br />Have a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Years! I will continue to post after I get back (give me a few days to recover from jet lag!)Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-61748977491849572282006-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:002006-12-16T14:39:54.164-08:00The Marriage of Joseph Fields and Mary Jane Larocque<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5009254866695897714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 192px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="214" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RYRywtbOQnI/AAAAAAAAAAw/_2eOs3Rbd04/s200/fields+laroque+marriage2..jpg" width="137" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_659xAgFSuWg/RYRsPdbOQmI/AAAAAAAAAAo/i8nSJccvbAM/s1600-h/fields+laroque+marriage.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div>Sorry, the image above is from Ancestry.com's files, and doesn't enlarge very well. This is a copy of the Marriage Registry showing the union of Joseph Fields and Mary Jane Larocque in the middle column. My best transcription with comments afterwards:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Source Information:</strong><br />Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada). Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2006. Original data: Ontario, Canada. Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1922. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Archives of Ontario. MS932, 632 reels.</div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Top of Register:</strong></div><div>p. 179</div><div>Schedule B -- Marriages</div><div>County of Hastings, Division of Trenton(1)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Middle Column from Top:</strong></div><div>No. <strong>25</strong></div><div>Stamped over: <strong>004630</strong></div><div></div><br /><div>Groom's Name: <strong>Joseph Fields</strong></div><div>Groom's Age: <strong>20 years old</strong></div><div>Residence when married: <strong>Trenton</strong></div><div>Place of Birth: <strong>Cornwall</strong></div><div>Bachelor or Widower (B or W): <strong>B</strong></div><div>Groom's Occupation: <strong>Laborer</strong></div><div>Name of Parents: <strong>Oliver Fields & Sarah Tovall(2)</strong></div><br /><div></div><div>Bride's Name: <strong>Jennie Larocque </strong></div><div>Age of Bride: <strong>19 years</strong></div><div>Residence when married: <strong>Trenton</strong></div><div>Place of Birth: <strong>Prescott</strong></div><div>Spinster or Widower (S or W): <strong>S</strong></div><div>Name of Parents: <strong>John Larocque &amp; Mary Martell</strong></div><div></div><br /><div>Names of Witnesses: <strong>Adolphus Shorbia & Jane McCormick, Trenton</strong></div><div>Date of Wedding: <strong>November 23rd, 1885</strong></div><div>Place of Wedding: <strong>Trenton</strong></div><div>Religion of Groom: <strong>RC</strong> (Roman Catholic)</div><div>Religion of Bride: <strong>RC</strong> </div><div>By [unreadable]: E.J. Walsh, B (3)</div><div></div><div>Lines on bottom are county clerk verifying that above was correct (as told to him) and date.</div><div> </div><div><strong><em>Footnotes:</em></strong> </div><div>(1) Even though the register is from Hastings, it does not necessarily reflect that the marriage took place there. It could easily be the county seat, or the nearest governmental place to file the marriage. However, given that the bride, groom and witnesses lived in Trenton at the time of the marriage, it is a good bet that the marriage took place in the vicinity of Trenton.</div><div>(2) The last name of Joseph's mother has been transcribed as: Tovall, Lovell, and Lovatt by numerous websites. I have tried searching Canadian censuses with all those names, as well as for Oliver Fields, and have not turned up anything.</div><div>(3) From the looks of it, this was the priest or justice of the peace who performed the ceremony.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><strong>My commentary:</strong></div><div>Finding this marriage registry was huge for me because it was the first non-US documentation that I found for any of my family lines. It also gave me the names of Joseph and Jennie's birthplaces as well as their parents. For Jennie, this linked to other family members who I will talk about later. However, Joseph's ancestry has become a brickwall for me. I can find no Oliver Fields nor Sarah Tovall/Lovell/Lovatt anywhere.</div></div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-50009020617521225712006-12-09T09:58:00.000-08:002006-12-09T17:43:18.644-08:00Who's Who -- Francis & Elizabeth's FamilyFrancis O'Keefe married Elizabeth McPartland on 8 Sept 1897 in Wheatville, Genesee Co., NY. (see previous blog). I'll be posting more, including photographs, of these two and their lives later.<br /><br />They had the following children:<br /><br />Leo Francis O'Keefe - (5 Sept 1900 - 21 Feb 1976)<br />-- married Leona Fields (see previous posts)<br /><br />Joseph William O'Keefe - "Joe" (16 Dec 1898 - 1930)<br />-- married Rita [last name unknown]<br /><br />Irene O'Keefe (abt. 1905 - ??)<br />-- married Cletus Martin<br /><br />M. Helen O'Keefe (1907-1987)<br />-- married Thomas BrophyDinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-9452856646257033872006-12-04T10:03:00.000-08:002007-08-17T11:32:14.218-07:00The Marriage of Francis O'Keefe and Elizabeth McPartland.<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/677007/francis%20elizabeth%20wed.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/528562/francis%20elizabeth%20wed.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is the official copy (for genealogical purposes only) of the Marriage License for Francis O'Keefe and Elizabeth McPartland. The transcription of above certificate:</div><div><br /><strong>Left-hand Column:</strong></div><strong></strong><div><br />Date of Marriage: <strong><em>September 8, 1897</em></strong></div><div>Groom's Full Name: <strong><em>Francis O'Keefe</em></strong></div><div>Residence of Groom: <strong><em>Medina, NY</em></strong></div><div>Age: <strong><em>30 Years</em></strong></div><div>Color: <strong><em>White<br /></em></strong>Occupation: <strong><em>Hotel Landlord</em></strong></div><div>Single or Widowed: <strong><em>Single<br /></em></strong>Birthplace of Groom: <strong><em>Shelby Center, Orleans Co, NY</em></strong></div><div>Father's Name: <strong><em>Corneilus O'Keefe<br /></em></strong>Mother's Name: <strong><em>Mary Morgan</em></strong></div><div>Number of Groom's Marriage: <strong><em>First</em></strong></div><div>Bride's Full Name: <strong><em>Elizabeth McPartland</em></strong></div><div>Residence of Bride: <strong><em>Wheatville [NY]</em></strong></div><div>Age: <strong><em>24 Years</em></strong><br />Color: <strong><em>White<br /></em></strong>Single or Widowed: <strong><em>Single</em></strong></div><div>Maiden Name if widowed: <strong><em>No</em></strong></div><div>Birthplace of Bride: <em><strong>Wheatville, NY</strong></em></div><div>Father's Name: <em><strong>Patrick McPartland</strong></em></div><div>Mother's Maiden Name: <strong><em>Bridget Dugan</em></strong></div><div>Number of Bride's Marriage: <em><strong>First<br /></strong></em>Name of Person performing Ceremony: <em><strong>Rev. F. J. Burns</strong></em></div><div>Official Duties: <em><strong>Catholic Priest</strong></em></div><div>Residence: <strong><em>East Pembroke, NY</em></strong></div><div></div><div><strong>Right-sided Column:<br /></strong></div><div>County of Genesee</div><div>Town of Alabama</div><div>Villiage of Wheatville</div><div>Certificate and Record of Marriage<br />State of New York -- Bureau of Vital Statistics</div><div>Numbers on left side: 16032 (stamped, meaning unclear)</div><div>Registered No. 193</div><div><br />I hereby certified that <strong><em>Francis O'Keefe</em></strong> and<br /><strong><em>Elizabeth McPartland</em></strong> were joined in Marriage<br />by me in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, at <strong><em>Wheatville, NY</em></strong></div><div>this <strong><em>eighth</em></strong> day of <strong><em>September 1897<br /></em></strong>Signature of Witnesses in Marriage: <strong><em>Joseph Kearney, [unreadable]</em></strong></div><div>Signature of Person performing ceremony: <strong><em>Rev. F.J. Burns</em></strong></div><div><strong><em></em></strong></div><div></div><div>The marriage certificate contains all sorts of wonderful genealogical information. It lists the bride's maiden name as well as her parent's names (including mother's maiden name!) . Also listed are occupation for the groom and his parental information as well. These all help to link generations together, as well as point in new directions for research.</div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-75689232006755435852006-11-30T08:57:00.000-08:002006-11-30T12:08:05.706-08:00Who's Who -- The Fields Family.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/715406/fields%20family%202.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/340910/fields%20family%202.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>This is a picture of the Joseph and Mary Jane Fields and their family in front of their Niagara Falls home at 1929 Whitney Ave. This was the family home for years, but unfortunately there was just a vacant lot at the site when I was in Niagara a couple years ago. I would put this photo as taken in the late 1920s or early 1930s. </p><p>Seated: Joseph Fields, Mary Jane LaRocque Fields<br />Standing, middle row (l to r): Carl, William, Leona, Eva, Louise, Lillian, Henry<br />Far back: Arthur Fields<br /><br />Joseph Fields married Mary Jane La Rocque on 23 Nov 1885 in Trenton, Ontario. They had the following children:</p><p>Edward Joseph* - (b. 7 Jan 1887)</p><p>Mary Louise - "Louise" (11 Mar 1889 - 22 Oct. 1948)</p><p>Mary Eva -- "Eva" (24 Jan 1891 - 30 May 1973)</p><p>Arthur Joseph -- "Art" (4 July 1893 - 25 Apr 1969)</p><p>Henry Joseph - (23 Jun 1895 - 8 Nov 1970)</p><p>William Franklin - "Bill" (10 May 1897 - 19 Mar 1984)</p><p>Leona Esther** - (30 Mar 1902 - 15 Apr 1996)</p><p>Lillian Ina -- "Lil" (25 Jan 1908 - Jan 1994)</p><p>Carl Cletus -- (10 Feb 1910 - 17 Nov 2001)</p><p>*While I have the birth record for Edward Joseph, I do not have any other information, and he doesn't show up on subsequent censuses or family histories. I therefore am assuming that this child died young, before the immigration to the U.S. until proven otherwise.</p><p>**For those of you wondering how the Fields fit into the O'Keefe line, Leona Fields married Leo O'Keefe. See prior blog entries or Who's Who -- the family of Leo and Leona O'Keefe.</p>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-60366334398241428002006-11-23T23:27:00.000-08:002006-11-23T10:10:08.247-08:00Who's who -- Leo and Leona's Family<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/233059/112649%20okeefe%20family2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/610945/112649%20okeefe%20family2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving! The above photo was taken on Nov. 26th, 1949 and features Leo and Leona O'Keefe and all their children. I thought the both the photo and the date that it was taken was particulary appropriate to a blog post about who's who in Leo and Leona's immediate family. First some names and then more details:<br /><br />Front row (l to r): <strong>Patrick, Leona, Leo, and Robert</strong><br />Back row (l to r): <strong>Edward, Elizabeth, Leo Jr., Raymond, Mary Louise, and James</strong><br /><br />From their much documented marriage (see below), Leo and Leona had the following children:<br />Leo Francis Jr. (b. 1923)<br />Elizabeth Jane -- "Betty" (b. May 23, 1924, d. Nov. 3rd, 1978)<br />James Joseph -- "Jim" (b. 1925)<br />Raymond Carl -- "Ray" (b. 1928)<br />Edward Michael -- "Ed" (b. 1930)<br />Mary Louise* -- "Mary Lou" (b. 1937)<br />Patrick Arthur -- "Pat" (b. 1940)<br />Robert John -- "Bob" (b. 1945)<br /><br />*for those of you who want to know how I fit into the picture, Mary Lou is the mother of my wonderful hubby, Ed Scheel.<br /><br /><br />I'll be posting a single family in each Who's Who, plus including them in a separate label on the side for easy referral. This should help you (and me!) keep everyone straight...<br /><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-31716650584540285792006-11-18T22:24:00.001-08:002006-11-18T22:24:26.661-08:00Getting Some Attention!Woo Hoo! This blog, along with my other family blogs (see side bar), merited a mention in George G. Morgan's "Along Those Lines... " (11/16 post)! Check it out at <a href="http://ahaseminars.livejournal.com/">http://ahaseminars.livejournal.com/</a> or use the link in the side bar under Favorite Websites.<br /><br />George Morgan is an well-known genealogy speaker, writer and teacher. His column, "Along Those Lines..." was featured on Ancestry.com for many years, until he recently moved it to this new blog. George and Drew Smith host "The Genealogy Guys" weekly podcast, which I listen to religiously, and which also was an inspiration for starting my blogs. <br /><br />It's truly an honor to be mentioned in George's blog and I was so excited when he personally emailed me back to let me know he was posting a link to my blogs. I've been walking on air all week!Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-76066696948419129682006-11-17T20:57:00.000-08:002006-11-21T09:27:47.835-08:00A Marriage... 50 years later<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/24327/leo%20leona%2050th%202%20copy.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/667730/leo%20leona%2050th%202%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/700106/leo%20leona%2050th.jpg"></a>This is Leona &amp; Leo's 50th Anniversary portrait. It appeared in the paper with the following article:<br /><br /><strong><em>O'Keefe Anniversary</em></strong><br /><br />Mr. and Mrs. Leo F. O'Keefe, Sr. will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 28, 1972. A Nuptial Mass will be said at 12:30 PM at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. A reception and dinner, hosted by the [couple's] eight children, will follow at Biagio's Restaurant.<br /><br />Mr. and Mrs. O'Keefe, married in 1922 at Sacred Heart Church in this city, have spent most of their lives in Niagara Falls and reside at 6016 John Avenue.<br /><br />Leo O'Keefe retired from the Union Carbide Corporation in 1965. Mrs. O'Keefe, the former Leona E. Fields, has been active in many civic organizations.<br /><br />The couple have six sons and two daughters: Leo Jr. of Kenmore, Mrs. Anthony (Elizabeth) Erickson of Altus, Oklahoma, James and Edward of Niagara Falls, Raymond of Lewiston, Mrs. Kenneth (Mary Lou) Scheel of Grand Island, Patrick of Youngstown and Robert, serving with the Peace Corps in Bangkok, Thailand.<br /><br />The couple have 34 grandchildren and 5 great grandkids.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There is no date nor the name of the paper on the clipping I have. From the wording of the article, I assume that it is a Niagara Paper and ran in 1972 sometime before the actual date of May 27th. One of the gifts given was a beautiful photo album put together by some of the grandkids, which I have and will be scanning before giving it to my mother-in-law (the aforementioned Mary Lou O'Keefe Scheel). There are a lot of photos in it that you will be seeing up here soon!</div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-20680858774358039902006-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:002006-11-10T23:38:22.100-08:00A Marriage, Part IV.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/leomrg1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/leomrg1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The final piece to the marriage license of Leo and Leona O'Keefe. Transcription (handwritten items in italic):<br /><br /><div align="center">State of New York</div><div align="center">Affidavit for License to Marry</div><div align="center">#15598 (upper right hand corner)</div><div align="center">No. 8102</div><br /><div align="center">(Stamp #1) New York State Dept. Vital Statistics Rec'd Oct 6 1922</div><div align="center">(Stamp #2) Filed Niagara County July 17 1:35pm 1922, Clerk's Office, Lockport, New York</div><br />State of New York<br />County of Niagara (stamped twice)<br />City of Niagara Falls<br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>Leo Francis O'Keefe</strong></em> (groom)</div><div align="center">and </div><div align="center"><em><strong>Leona Esther Fields</strong></em> (bride)</div><br />applicants for a license for marriage, being severally sworn, depose and say, that to the best of their knowledge and belief the following statement respectively signed by them is true and that no legal impediment exists as to the right of the applicants to enter into the marriage state.<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>(Column information identical to that on Marriage License. </strong></div><div align="center"><strong>See previous post: A Marriage, Part II.)</strong></div><br />Signatures at bottom:<br /><br /><strong><em>Leo Francis O'Keefe</em></strong><br />Groom<br /><br /><strong><em>Leona Esther Fields</em></strong><br />Bride<br /><br />Subscribed and sworn to before me this<br /><strong><em>31st day of May 1922</em></strong><br /><em>George J. Richards,</em> Clerk<br /><br />Future address<br /><em>833 Elmwood Ave, Niagara Falls, NY</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-47648276329217455912006-11-09T17:00:00.000-08:002006-11-09T22:14:45.035-08:00A Marriage, Part III<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/leomrg3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/leomrg3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Official title of this document is Marriage Certificate to Clergymen and Magistrates. It is an addition to the Marriage License for the presiding clergy or judge to complete. Since these came out so small on the blog, here is what it says (handwritten items in italics):<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE</strong></div><div align="center"><strong>to Clergymen and Magistrates</strong></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div>The license and certificate duly signed by the person who shall have solemnized the marriage therein authorized shall be returned by him to the office of the town or city clerk who issued the same on or before the tenth day of the month next succeeding the date of the solemnizing of the marriage therein authorized and any person or persons who shall willfully neglect to make such return within the time above required shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars or more than fifty dollars for each and every offense.<br /><br />I, <em>Rev. James J. Roche</em>, a <em>clergyman</em> residing at <em>1917 Eleventh St.</em> in the town of <em>Niagara Falls</em>, in the county of <em>Niagara</em> and the State of New York, do hereby certify that I did on this <em>1st</em> day of <em>June</em> in the year A.D. 19<em>22</em> at <em>Niagara Falls</em>, in the county of <em>Niagara</em> and State of New York, solemnize the rites of matrimony between <em>Leo Francis O'Keefe</em> of <em>Niagara Falls</em> in the county of <em>Niagara</em> and the State of New York, and <em>Leona Esther Fields </em>of <em>Niagara Falls</em> in the county of <em>Niagara</em> and the State of New York in the presence of <em>Joseph O'Keefe</em> and <em>Loretta Brown</em> as witness, and the license therefor is hereto annexed.<br /><br />Witness my hand at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara this 1st day of June A.D. 1922<br />In presence of<br />Joseph O'Keefe<br />Loretta Brown<br />(signatures of witness)<br /><br />Rev. James J. Roche<br />(signature of Person Performing Ceremony)<br /><br />Niagara Falls, NY<br />(Address of Person Performing Ceremony)<br /><br /><br />According to the 1920 Census, Rev. James Roche was a Catholic Priest and Head Pastor. The address given is for the Sacred Heart Church. He would have been approximately 73 at the time of the marriage (if his age in the census is correct) and had immigrated to the U.S. in 1860 from Ireland.Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-79837059092736925342006-11-08T09:15:00.000-08:002006-11-23T09:13:30.138-08:00A Marriage, Part II.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/leomrg1.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/leomrg1.0.jpg" border="0" /></a> .<br /><strong>Housekeeping side note:</strong> All the dots you see in the blank lines are because Blogger is stripping out the blank lines I put in. So to keep the blog from being one huge block of crammed type, I have to put something in the line and I chose to put a period. <div></div><div>Now, onto the genealogy stuff. This is the official marriage license for Leo & Leona O'Keefe. Since it posts so small on the blog, here's what it says (handwritten items in italic):</div><div>.</div><div align="center">NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH</div><div align="center">Division of Vital Statistics</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>MARRIAGE LICENSE</strong></div><div align="center">County of Niagara</div><div align="center">City of Niagara Falls</div><div align="center">Registered No. 8102</div><div align="center">(also #15598 in upper right corner without explanation)</div><div>.</div><div>Know all Men by this Certificate, that any person authorized by law to perform marriage ceremonies within the State of New York to whom this may come, he, not knowing any lawful impediment thereto, is hereby authorized and empowered to solemnize the rites of matrimony between</div><div>.</div><div align="center"><strong>Leo Francis O'Keefe</strong></div><div align="center">of Niagara Falls in the County of Niagara and the State of New York, </div><div align="center">and </div><div align="center"><strong>Leona Esther Fields</strong></div><div align="center">of Niagara Falls in the County of Niagara and the State of New York </div><div>.</div><div>and to certify the same to be said parties of either of them under his hand and seal in his ministerial or official capacity and thereupon he is required to return his certificate in the form hereto annexed. The statements endorsed hereon or annexed hereto, by me subscribed contain a full and true abstract of all the facts concerning such parties disclosed by their affidavits or verified statements presented to me upon the application for this license.</div><div>.</div><div>In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said City at Niagara Falls this Thirty First day of May nineteen hundred and Twenty Two.</div><div>George J. Richards, Clerk</div><div>.</div><div>The following is a full and true abstract of all the facts disclosed by the above-named applicants in their verified statements presented to me upon their applications for the above license:</div><div>.</div><div><strong>From the Groom</strong> (left side column, bottom of page):</div><div>Full Name: <strong>Leo Francis O'Keefe</strong></div><div>Color: <strong>White</strong></div><div>Place of Residence: <strong>613 9th St., Niagara Falls, NY</strong></div><div>Age: <strong>21 . Sept 5, 1921</strong></div><div>Occupation: <strong>Grocery Clerk</strong></div><div>Place of Birth: <strong>Medina, NY</strong></div><div>Name of Father: <strong>Francis O'Keefe</strong></div><div>Country of birth: <strong>Genessee Co, NY</strong></div><div>Maiden Name of Mother: <strong>Elizabeth McPartland</strong></div><div>Country of birth: <strong>Genessee Co, NY</strong></div><div>Number of Marriages: <strong>first</strong></div><div>I have not to my knowledge been infected with any venereal disease,or if I have been so infected within five years, I have had a laboratory test within that period which shows that I am now free from infection from any such disease.</div><div>Former wife or wives living or dead: (blank)</div><div>Is applicant a divorced person: (blank)</div><div>If so, when and where divorce or divorces were granted: (blank)</div><div>.</div><div><strong>From the Bride</strong> (right side column bottom of page):</div><div>Full Name: <strong>Leona Esther Fields</strong></div><div>Color: <strong>White</strong></div><div>Place of Residence: <strong>1929 Whitney Ave, Niagara Falls, NY</strong></div><div>Age: <strong>20</strong></div><div>Occupation: <strong>none</strong></div><div>Place of Birth: <strong>No. Tonawanda, NY</strong></div><div>Name of Father: <strong>Joseph Fields</strong></div><div>Country of birth: <strong>Moose Creek, Ontario (Canada)</strong></div><div>Maiden Name of Mother: <strong>Mary Jane La Rock</strong></div><div>Country of birth: <strong>Martintown, Ontario (Canada)</strong></div><div>Number of Marriages: <strong>first</strong></div><div>I have not to my knowledge been infected with any venereal disease,or if I have been so infected within five years, I have had a laboratory test within that period which shows that I am now free from infection from any such disease.</div><div>Former husband or husbands living or dead: (blank)</div><div>Is applicant a divorced person: (blank)</div><div>If so, when and where divorce or divorces were granted: (blank)</div><div>.</div><div>Future Address</div><div>(Enter here EXACT FUTURE ADDRESS after marriage if known)</div><div>833 Elmswood Ave, Niagara Falls, NY</div><div>.</div><div>Additional paragraph on next page (see scan from A Marriage, Part III):</div><div>The written consents of the Parents, Guardians or Persons under whose care and government the Minor or Minors may be has been filed in the Town or City Clerk's office in (blank) as provided by Section 15, of Article 3 under the Domestic Relations Law.</div><div>.</div><div>.</div><div>This license has all the things that a genealogist loves: full names, places of birth and relationships, and addresses. It links one generation (Leo &amp; Leona) to another (their parents), verifying the connections. With the birthplaces, I know where to look for birth records or other ancestors. With addresses, I can find mortgage records, property deeds, tax rolls, etc. .The certificate itself tells you a lot about the time, what "they" (the government, society) considered important and how they view things. The questions asked, what gets added to the license over time, even the phrasing of questions leave little clues to social and political attitudes of the time, and hence, what it was like for your ancestors. I'll be posting later the marriage certificate for Leo's parents for a comparison sometime later in this blog. </div>Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-75496427385466391142006-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:002006-11-07T12:57:39.089-08:00A Marriage (in several blogs).<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/1600/leo%20marriage.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/2581/217747596074667/400/leo%20marriage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is the wedding photograph of Leo O'Keefe ad Leona Fields; they are seated in front. Behind them are the Maid of Honor, Loretta Brown, and Best Man, Joseph O'Keefe. Loretta is Leona's best friend (and would continue to be for years to come) and Joseph is Leo's older brother. The date is June 1st, 1922 and they are in Niagara Falls, NY. No, not just for their honeymoon - they lived there!<br /><br />I love wedding photos. Not only do they document the actual event (what they wore, what they looked like, etc) but they hint at so much unseen. What were their hopes, dreams and plans? How'd they meet, what was their courtship like? What were they like?<br /><br />This much I do know from family interviews: Leo and Leona met on a blind date. At the time, Leo was working a Delivery Person for Hackett's Grocery Store, located on Main near 3rd in Niagara. No Webvan deliveries here! Leo drove a horse and wagon, and his duties included taking care of the horse! He lived above the barn where the horse was kept.<br /><br />Over the next several blogs, I will be posting their marriage certificate &amp; attachments -- all three pages. The city of Niagara Falls didn't fool around when it came to documentation! Most of the marriage licenses I find are only one page or just an entry in a church record book. I'll be doing a page a blog to keep from having an Energizer blog (one that just keeps going and going....).Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1783788307043674645.post-40386396435455843832006-11-03T09:37:00.001-08:002006-11-03T09:37:56.583-08:00Blog IntroductionThis blog tracks my discoveries while researching my husband's O'KEEFE family line. I will be posting photos, documents, stories and anything else I can find! It is a way of sharing this information with other family members as well as allowing others to contribute, correct and discover us!<br /><br />While there are a lot of O'Keefes, this blog mainly focuses on the ancestors and descendants of Leo and Leona O'Keefe of Niagara Falls, NY. Most postings will be on ancestors due to privacy and security issues.<br /><br />Comments, corrections, inquiries and contributions are all gratefully accepted.Dinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04971874556426756883noreply@blogger.com0